


The Good Fight

by Ohmyjoshh



Series: Joshler ABO Choose-Your-Own-Adventure! [2]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Underage Masturbation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-18 01:14:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9358010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohmyjoshh/pseuds/Ohmyjoshh
Summary: Josh is an alpha, and he presents upon finding his omega being bullied for presenting as a male omega in a world where omegas are pretty much only females.**Previously known as The Happy One**





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this prompt that I gave myself during work today, but I couldn't decide what direction I wanted to go in (it was between two), so I'm going to write both! This is the happier adventure, and it's pretty much exactly the same as the other one, save like one paragraph. But after this part, they will become VASTLY different, so make your choice....  
> <3

****

Josh was a pillar of manliness, even at 14. He was strong, athletic, and dominating. It was exhausting. Josh wished he was a beta. Beta was the rarest of statuses, and betas were special, and they could have whoever they wanted as a mate. Josh hated the idea of everything being predetermined for him, when betas could just live their lives. Josh only knew three betas personally, partly due to the fact that almost everyone Josh knew was a friend from school, and most people didn’t present until senior year. None of that mattered anyway, because Josh knew he was destined to be an alpha, just like his father was, and his father before him. He would be a hot-headed, unintelligent alpha, useful only for brute strength and knotting some omega whenever he was allowed. That was just how it worked: Omegas are the caring, smart women who keep the family together, betas are the free, easygoing rarity, and alphas are the thick, one-track-minded men that are only good for reproducing. Betas could be either male or female, which wasn’t really the case in alphas or omegas except in very rare cases Josh read about in health class. Despite having the strength, alphas were almost always outsmarted by the other classes, and once mated, the alpha was essentially a slave to his omega. Josh was due to present in only a few years, and POOF!—There goes his brain cells. That’s how it seemed to be for everyone else.

Josh made the mistake of voicing this complaint to his mother once, and he got quite the lecture that night. She spent half the night insisting that she and Josh’s father were a team, and Josh’s dad was smart and wonderful, and she would never have chosen anyone else, even if she had a choice, blah blah blah. But how messed up was that? Even Josh’s mom would admit that Josh didn’t have a choice. They didn’t see anything wrong with that, of course. They were both blinded by each other’s phermones. The whole thing disgusted Josh. Not to mention the idea of rutting! Josh was going to become a slave to his dick? His brain would just short-circuit and his need to get off would come first, even before the safety of others? Josh didn’t want to be this monster, not one bit.

“Josh, sweetie. You’ll meet her one day and you’ll know how wrong you were. Everything will change. She isn’t a curse, Josh, she was made for you. Trust me, little man, the pheromones are never wrong,” she winked as she ruffled Josh’s hair. Josh tutted and rolled his eyes.

+

Josh was shuffling across campus with his friends one day when he learned how wrong he was about everything, and his entire view on life and statuses changed in seconds, just like everyone told him it would. Josh and his friends had math together, so they met up by the English building to head to the math and science building on the other side of campus. Josh was rounding the corner of the sidewalk when he saw a group of kids sneering and laughing at something he couldn’t see right at the edge of the raised sidewalk towards the gym. Josh felt queasy right away, knew something was wrong. He and his friends approached the group curiously, and Josh was still trying to see what everyone was making fun of when the smell hit him. It was overwhelmingly sweet and musky, like flowers in a freshly rained-on forest. Josh had less than a second to think “wow that smells great!” before something short-circuited in his brain, the sudden click he’d always feared, and then Josh was throttling the entire group one-by-one, throwing a few to the side, and decking a couple, before the rest got the message and scattered. Josh was met with a large ditch at the edge of the boardwalk, but he could see a dark little crawlspace underneath, and he could hear pitiful cries pouring out of the crawlspace along with the smell. He dropped to the ground and flung himself towards the small opening before he could think twice.

He couldn’t fit inside, but he climbed as close in as he could, blocking most of the sunlight with his upper half. It took his eyes a second to adjust, and when they did, the sight had his stomach dropping. It was a boy, curled into fetal position and sobbing, and he was undoubtedly Josh’s mate, and he was inches from Josh’s face. Josh continued to act on instinct, shoving his arms into the hole to wrap them around the small ball of boy and cradle him to his chest. The boy jumped and cried harder, but Josh could already smell how he was flooding the boy’s little hideout cave with his alpha sent, trying to calm him down.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, they’re gone. Nobody’s gonna mess with you anymore,” Josh soothed, rubbing the boy’s back as best he could manage in the awkward angle. The boy quieted and sniffled, and the sniffle seemed to do a great deal to relax him, suddenly boneless in Josh’s arms. Josh had a surge of self-satisfied power rush when he realized it was his scent having that effect on him. Josh quickly shook the feeling to focus on more pressing matters. “What’s your name?” He whispered after a beat. He was met with silence and he thought he wasn’t going to get an answer when he finally heard the boy speak.

“Tyler,” he croaked out hoarsely. His voice was music to Josh’s ears, and Josh was so overwhelmed by the sudden affection he felt for a stranger, he almost forgot to respond.

“Tyler. Nobody will hurt you anymore. I’ll protect you now,” Josh said matter-of-factly, in a voice loaded with more affection than he was entirely comfortable with. The boy pressed closer to Josh in response, but Josh didn’t get a chance to feel happy about it before Tyler was groaning and crying again. Josh whimpered pathetically, distressed, and Tyler managed to choke out, “hurts,” by way of explanation. Josh knew the feeling. He felt like all his bones were bruised and his skin was on fire, not to mention the absolutely raging hard-on he was studiously ignoring. His omega would come before anything else, and Josh would do what he had to do to protect him.

Josh held onto Tyler for a few more minutes while the last of the students filed to class, deciding being late wasn’t worth watching whatever Josh was doing on the ground. Once the late bell rang out, and Josh didn’t hear any other sounds, he decided it was safe to emerge. He began to shuffle backwards, scooping Tyler along with him. Tyler made a weak noise of protest, but Josh quickly shushed him, cooing and pouring off more of his scent. Tyler finally unfurled himself, just enough to release his arms and wrap them around Josh’s neck, his face buried in it as well, with his nose pressed up under Josh’s ear. Josh stood, bringing Tyler up with him to carry bridal-style towards the nurse’s office. Josh was shaking with adrenaline, and with the effort of keeping himself reigned in. There was a very large, very strong part of Josh that wanted to mate Tyler, and he knew Tyler would let him, in heat and weak as he was. Josh was sick to him stomach as he carried Tyler back across campus. 

When he arrived at the clinic, he busted in to tower over the nurse and some student that she was about to apply a band-aid to.

“Out,” He barked at the kid, an alpha command, and the kid flew out of there like lightning, band-aid forgotten. Considering the strong smells from the two boys, he didn’t have to say anything to the nurse, and he knew it, so he just walked over to the cot and made himself comfortable, continuing to cradle Tyler to his chest protectively. The nurse was stiff and pale, looking petrified, and she picked up her phone with forced calmness. “Sir, we have a 2319,” she said into the receiver. Josh could hear the commotion from the other end while the person on the other side flooded her with questions, but she just placed the receiver back onto the base, staring at Josh with fear and wonder in her eyes. Josh disregarded her to pull away and look down at Tyler properly for the first time. Tyler looked up at him curiously, his arms still wrapped around Josh’s neck, and Josh was met with beautiful honey-caramel-butterscotch irises, big and round and bright. He had a perfectly symmetrical face, nice full lips and a cute button-nose. He was the most beautiful thing Josh had ever seen, and Josh couldn’t believe he was so lucky.

Their little staring contest ended much too soon, interrupted by a swat team busting into the clinic and coming straight for Josh. He had a moment to wonder why they would possibly be coming for Josh, but his question was answered when the first man reached for Tyler. A snarl ripped from Josh and he used the arm that was no longer around Tyler to fling the man backwards with a well-aimed shove to his chest. Josh flipped and laid Tyler onto the clinic’s cot, taking stance to make a sort of cage around him as the other men filed straight in. He was growling and snarling, fighting with all his strength, but it was no use. There were too many of them. They finally managed to hold him still while one of them quickly pressed a needle into the soft part of his arm and then Josh felt too tired to keep his eyes open.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have to say I'm so touched by how many people chose this one over the angsty one, like you guys are just smol beans looking for happiness in a dark time. And there is just too much angst in this fandom and what we all need is a happy, fluffy, smutty Joshler abo and I WILL DELIVER THAT, and I plan to drag it out as long as possible so STRAP IN.

Josh woke up to beeping and shuffling, and several distant voices. A television playing HGTV. The harsh smell of antiseptic. He hadn’t opened his eyes, but he could feel his other senses being flooded by his new surroundings. His senses were several degrees sharper than they had ever been, yet Josh found himself strangely indifferent to it all. In fact, the only thing he didn’t feel indifferent about was the insistence to find Tyler and be with him again, and fill his nose with the sweet smell of his mate instead of this gross hospital. Wait, hospital? Josh finally opened his eyes and looked around, taking in his surroundings with all his senses then. His room was opened, but there was no one else within sight, and Josh was hooked up to an IV bag, dripping slowly. He looked for a red call button like he’s seen in movies, but he only bothered with that for a good thirty seconds before realizing how ridiculous it was. He then began to look for a TV remote instead, and he found it tucked in between the thin mattress and the little gate to stop patients from rolling off the bed. The remote had a red button with a phone on it, and Josh rolled his eyes before pressing on it. A tinny voice broke through from out of the remote, asking Josh what he needed. Josh asked where the fuck he was. That ought to get someone in there.

“Josh! Good morning, sleepyhead! You’ve had quite the day, haven’t you?” Josh’s mom greeted cheerily, but Josh could see the exhaustion and relief etched around her eyes.

“What happened?” Josh inquired, only in a feeble attempt to catch up with the time he’s been unconscious. It was pretty clear what happened.

“Well, where do I start? You presented as an alpha—Congratulations!" She waved her hands around on a small scale, a little mini-celebration, before continuing, “You met your omega, who was in heat. And you went into a rut. And you didn't mate him. You just protected him from harm and took him to safety, which has everyone pretty stumped. Awestricken, to be honest. You might be the most reserved alpha in history.” Josh’s mom paused, looking down at Josh proudly. 

“I attacked those police guys, mom,” That was the last thing Josh remembered, throwing grown men like it was nothing, probably breaking bones. 

"Well of course you did, dear, they were trying to come near your omega while he was in heat. You won’t be held liable for that. But you didn’t mate him. An alpha in his first rut, and omega in her—his first heat are both insatiable, always. And yet, you protected him and brought him to safety instead. The doctors have never seen that kind of restraint. Especially with both of you being so young. I’m so proud, Josh, you’re such a good alpha!” Josh purrs very quietly at the praise, before remembering the urgent matter they were all dancing around. 

“Well, what happened after that? How long has it been? _Where is Tyler??_ ” Josh flooded his mom with questions, and she looked a bit taken aback, as if Josh would just say “great,” and drop it. He found his mate, and his mate was taken away from him. Who the fuck ever thought that would be okay?? Josh was encouraging his own anger, and the room flooded with the smell of soot and ash. A nurse bustled over and turned a dial on his IV bag. “Whoa, whoa, settle down now,” Josh felt immediately calmer, if a little dizzy, and he turned up towards the nurse to await some answers. “I’m Nurse Julie, it’s nice to meet you, Josh. I’ll help catch you up, okay? So the men who restrained you at your school are the Cycle-Related Violence Response Team. In cases where we’re dealing with somebody who is on their cycle, an alpha in a rut or an omega in heat, they are the first responders to the scene. They’re specially trained to deal with whatever situation may arise, be it two alphas in a rut fighting, or an alpha in a rut attacking an omega in heat, or an omega going into heat in public, what have you. The school nurse called them and they showed up and sedated you, and this was for the safety of you and your mate, as well as the other students. 

“After you were sedated, they took both of you—separately, to the hospital. You were put on some medicines to help you handle all this. You’re on a slow release sedative right now, and a low-grade fungal steroid, which will help with lowering your sex drive. You should be feeling much better now.” Josh nodded to show that he was, but he was still waiting for her to continue. “The steroid may cause some inconsistencies in your rut for a few months, but we’ll have you follow up with an endocrinologist to discuss that further,” the nurse paused and took a breath, and Josh knew she was finally getting to what he really wanted to hear about. “As for your mate, we’re not really sure how to approach the situation. In typical cases that involve the CRVR, we must take legal action to protect the omega, but your violence was not directed at him, and you did nothing but protect him. Quite frankly, as your mother said, we’ve never seen that.” 

“Which is fucked up,” Josh supplied from his hospital bed, feeling helpless. He just wanted to see Tyler again, and make sure he was okay. He told the nurse as much and she looked touched, which flattered Josh, but didn’t get him any closer to Tyler. The nurse promised Josh she would work on it, and she swept out of the room so quickly that Josh believed her. It wouldn’t have mattered if he didn’t, because he was pretty high on whatever this sedative was. 

“Josh. I want you to know that your father and I are so proud of you. You were so respectful, such a good alpha. And we’re so happy for you. I have to ask. How do you feel? About him being… a male?” Josh had a very quiet urge to growl at his own mother, still so defensive of Tyler after the way he found him, and he had a feeling that urge would be much louder and harder to ignore if not for the sedative. 

“You said the pheromones are never wrong,” His mother looked like she wanted to say something, but Josh cut her off. “Mom—he’s _perfect,_ ” Josh remembered Tyler’s face like he was looking at a photo, and he couldn’t help but speak with awe and reverence when it came to Tyler. Deep down, he was quietly disgusted in himself for being so enamored with someone he didn’t even know, but he couldn’t really be bothered about it. His mom smiled at him like she won the lottery, so proud and happy for her son. He smiled back, and it wasn’t long before the sedatives became too much for him, and he drifted off to dreams of honey brown eyes and sweet smells and tan skin. 

“Joo-oosh,” Someone was singing Josh’s name quietly, and Josh slowly pried his eyes open to see the nurse from before standing over him. She was smiling, a glint of excitement in her eyes, and Josh perked up, remembering her promise from earlier. 

“Your parents and I spoke to Tyler’s parents. Would you like to come see him?” Josh was shooting up before she could finish the question, and she steadied him with both hands on his shoulders. “Whoa, there, careful! The offer won’t expire, Josh,” She joked, but she still helped him with getting all his chords untangled before leading him out of the room. She kept a steadying hand on his arm as she led him down a few corridors, and as they rounded the final corner, she turned towards a door and Josh’s heart jumped into his throat, suddenly nervous.

His nerves, as it turned out, were for nothing, because Tyler was peacefully sleeping. Josh’s breath wooshed out of him at the sight of Tyler’s face, even more perfect than Josh remembered. His feet carried him over to Tyler’s bedside, and the nurse and the boys’ respective parents all hovered, waiting with bated breath. Josh slid down to the floor and took a seat, webbing his fingers with that of the closest of Tyler’s hands, and when they were hand in hand, Josh let his eyes close once more, his head pillowed on the bed. Josh heard the collective sigh of relief and rolled his closed eyes, but rested regardless, staying alert to listen for Tyler to wake. He wanted so badly to bury his nose into Tyler’s neck and just smell, but he held Tyler’s hand up against his face instead, because if he got his teeth anywhere near Tyler’s mating gland, there would be a good chance he’d lose his Tyler privileges. Josh sat there for two more hours, one of the nurses coming in to refill his IV bags at some point, while Josh got to know Tyler’s parents a bit better. They had several questions for him, and for his parents, and it was a pretty involved group discussion peppered with Josh protectively shushing anyone who got remotely above a full whisper. Tyler’s parents seemed to approve of Josh, and Josh thought they were the strong, comforting figures that a set of parents should be. Josh had to fight tears when Tyler’s dad welcomed Josh to the family, opening his arms for a hug. It was the only time Josh let go of Tyler’s hand since he entered the room. Their conversation died off after an hour and a half, and everyone dozed off, the stress and excitement of the day getting to them. Josh was the most alert, having already had his fair share of naps, and he just stayed on the floor by Tyler’s bed, waiting for a sign of life. 

That sign came thirty minutes later, and Josh had both arms crossed and rested on the bed, his chin rested on top, and watched as Tyler slowly opened his eyes to meet Josh’s. It was the first time Josh ever saw Tyler smile, and it was right at him, and he had crooked teeth and dimples and Josh’s eyes welled up with tears as he smiled back. 

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Josh whispered after a beat, and Tyler stared back for a moment before offering his own response, clearing his throat and still croaking out a hoarse voice, gravelly from sleep. 

“Um, hey… What, ah… What’s your name?” Tyler asked awkwardly, and Josh slapped a palm over his face. 

“Josh, it’s—it’s Josh. Sorry,” He chuckled sheepishly, and Tyler just shook his head. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Josh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short, but I figured a short update is better than no update. <3


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long, I had to restart it twice because I didn't like where it was going. I tried to make it a bit longer to make it up to you <3

Josh was allowed to go home the following morning to finish out his rut alone, while Tyler was to be kept in for the duration of his heat, just to make it easier on him, since he was already there. Heats were notably harder on male omegas than on females. Josh and Tyler exchanged shirts before Josh was discharged, so they could have each other’s scents nearby to help them get through. It was Tyler’s idea, and it ended up being a brilliant one.

Josh’s parents were a bit unprepared for his rut, considering he was quite young to be presenting. But they were able to think on their feet, stopping on the way home from the hospital to quickly stock up on the necessary items. When they arrived home, they plugged the new mini-fridge in next to Josh’s bed, stocking it full of fresh fruits and veggies for Josh to snack on during his rut. They also set a case of water bottles on top, leaving them room temperature so the mini fridge space could hold as much food as possible. Josh was growing more impatient by the second, clutching Tyler’s shirt and watching them, swallowing the urge to growl every few minutes at the invasion of space. After his parents finally left the room, Josh thought he would immediately begin to touch himself, furiously and frantically. Wasn’t that how this was supposed to work? Josh mostly just wanted a nap, though, and he figured that was his decision to make, so he climbed into bed and did just that.

When he awoke two hours later, he _was_ furiously and frantically masturbating, much to his surprise. He continued as he slowly regained consciousness, throwing his head back and groaning. The movement jostled the shirt he was pillowing his head on, and Josh turned his head to bury his face in it, biting down on the fabric to groan again. He still had the presence of mind to feel a tiny bit self-conscious for getting his drool on Tyler’s shirt, but he reasoned with himself that shirts were washable. He missed Tyler so much it ached, and he continued to press his head against the shirt and rub into it until he felt like he was getting rug burn. Even in his rut-addled mind, he couldn’t help wondering if Tyler was missing him too.

The little bit Josh was able to sleep was spent clutching the shirt to his chest, his nose buried in the collar. His time spent awake was in a quite similar position, only one hand was wrapped around his dick and he was biting on the shirt and whining. He tried not to feel too guilty, hoping this was part of Tyler’s idea as well. Surely, he would understand? Josh wasn’t sure how much the medicine they gave Tyler was staving off his heat-related urges, or maybe he was in his hospital bed doing the same thing, clutching to Josh’s shirt with one hand while he thrusted into the tight fist of the other, biting down on the collar of Josh’s shirt as slick drips from him and pools around him on the thin sheets. Josh came at the thought with a shout, holding tight around his knot as it pulsed in his hand.

The next few days went by pretty quickly for Josh, his rut sped up by the lingering steroids from his time in the hospital. When he finally awoke feeling like himself again, level-headed and re-energized, he threw himself into the shower and scrubbed the last few days off. When he was sufficiently clean and dressed, he bounded downstairs to demand that one of his parents take him to see Tyler.

“Josh, dear, there’s a really good chance that he’s still in his heat. They last a bit longer for male omegas, and he didn’t have the luxury of medicines to shorten his cycle like you did. Maybe tomorrow,” She reassured.

“Mom, no, I have to see him now, c’mon I barely made it through the week! I have to give him back his shirt!” Josh whined pathetically.

“Joshua, don’t argue with your mother, young man,” Josh’s dad cut in from in the dining room table. Josh responded by whining restlessly, sounding more pitiful than ever.

“I’ll call Tyler’s parents and get an update for you, okay?” His mother resigned. Josh sighed and nodded, figuring that was the best he’d do.

+

It ended up being another three days before he was allowed to go visit, and on the third day, Josh pestered his mother until she finally broke down. Josh was nervous and jittery the whole way to the hospital, his mother repeatedly placing a hand on his bouncing knee at every stoplight.

“I changed my mind, let’s go back home,” Josh muttered quickly when they pulled in to the parking garage. His mother responded with nothing but a stern, unimpressed look in his direction, and he meekly climbed out of the car as it came to a stop. They maneuvered around corridors and through hallways until they found the room Tyler was staying in. Josh stood outside the door just staring for a handful of seconds before his mom spoke his name in a tone that said ‘get the hell in there,’ and then Josh was pushing the door opened slowly.

The smell hit him before he could take in the sight. It was that same smell from the day he met Tyler, that sweet floral, woody, _Tyler_ smell, but it was overwhelming. Josh was honestly shocked that Tyler’s parents were still in the room, pressed against the wall as far away from him as they could be. They looked beat, and so did Tyler. Josh could also smell leftover arousal and strong distress and embarrassment, and he couldn’t even imagine how Tyler must have felt. Tyler was sitting up in bed in his oversized hospital gown, looking pale and thoroughly wrung out. There were bags under his eyes, and his lips matched the color of his skin. When he looked up and saw Josh, he smiled despite all this, and even though there was so much exhaustion in his eyes, the smile reached up there too. Josh returned his smile and the smell of distress in the room lessened considerably.

“How’s it going?” Josh asked softly as he made his way over to crouch at Tyler’s bedside. It was like déjà vu when he leaned his head on the bed, and Tyler instinctively reached for Josh’s hair, wanting to touch some part of him. Josh reached out to thread his fingers with Tyler’s.

“Oh, you know. Just a thirteen-year-old boy going through his first heat, no big deal. It’s a cakewalk, really,” Tyler managed to joke, and Josh responded by squeezing Tyler’s hand, looking up at him sympathetically. He thought a rut was a lot to deal with, but he couldn’t imagine how Tyler felt.

“At least they have you on some sedatives and stuff, right? To help?” Josh asked Tyler, but looked up to Tyler’s parents, wanting reassurance from somebody.

“Yeah, but it can only do so much to take the edge off,” Tyler answered with a shrug. “It’s fine now, anyway, I survived. They said they’ll put me on some suppressants for a couple years, to help,” Tyler explained.

“Wha—suppressants? But aren’t those dangerous and experimental? They said in health class that there’s a lot they don’t know about the long-term damage and side effects of them,” Josh thought back to everything he’d heard about suppressants, and none of the things were positive. He didn’t want his omega doing something dangerous like that.

“I know. I told them at first that I wasn’t interested, but now that I know what it’s like, I’m ready to take whatever risk there is. And I’ve been somewhat drugged up this whole time, I don’t even want to know what it’s like without,” Tyler’s voice was gentle and meager, and Josh felt like he was sinking.

“No, please. I… I mean, I don’t want you to suffer but Tyler, omegas go through heats all the time. And why do you have to do it alone? I could help you,” Josh argued. Both of Tyler’s parents piped up then, immediately shooting down Josh’s offer. He hadn’t meant it like _that_ , but of course it made sense that that was where their mind went.

“We’ve discussed it as a family, and we don’t want you two together during your cycles until you’re eighteen. It’s not that we don’t like you, Josh, we really do, but you two are just so young. We don’t want any accidents happening. We just want you both to be safe,” Tyler’s mother explained, his father nodding along encouragingly and making stern little “mhms” here and there, for effect. Tyler had furrowed brows and a bitten lip, and was avoiding Josh’s eyes.

“No, of course, I understand,” Josh agreed easily, though quite dejectedly. Josh could tell Tyler was close with his parents, and Josh was close to his own. Family was clearly very important to both of them, and Josh would respect whatever wishes Tyler’s parents had for the two of them. Josh wouldn’t argue the fact that Tyler was in heat when Josh found him, and even though it sent Josh into rut, they were perfectly fine around each other. Everyone was so impressed, even Tyler’s parents, so Josh didn’t understand the sudden change of heart, but he wouldn’t push it. Not to them, anyway, and not right now.

+

Tyler was sent home later that day, and he started the suppressants the next day, when both boys returned to school. Josh had to dodge a lot of questions from his friends, about where he’d been and what the heck happened with that little crying boy Josh rescued. Josh wasn’t sure what to tell anybody, hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Tyler about it, so he just told them that he presented that day, since that part he wouldn’t be able to hide. His friends were distracted enough with congratulating him and asking a bunch of questions about being an alpha, that they forgot all about the little crying boy.

When Josh ran into Tyler in between classes, he fell into step next to him, clapping him on the shoulder amicably.

“Hey, man!” Tyler chirped happily.

“Hey! How you feeling?” Josh responded as they made their way down the hall. Josh could barely smell Tyler, and he figured it was because they were outside, and surrounded by crowds of students.

“Much better! Seems like the suppressants work right away, but it could just be that I’m off my heat,” Tyler’s voice dropped at that, Josh noticed.

“That reminds me, did you want to tell anybody about it? Cause I’ve been getting loaded with questions from all my friends, and I wasn’t sure how much you wanted me sharing,” Josh glanced over at Tyler as much as he could while still paying attention to where he was walking.

“Oh, yeah. I’m not really sure myself. I mean I guess there’s no hiding that you’re an alpha, I can smell you from a mile away,” Tyler smiled at that, and Josh stuttered in his movements, realizing why he can barely smell Tyler and Tyler can smell him so strongly, as mates usually do.

“Wait a minute,” Josh interrupted, gripping one of Tyler’s shoulders to stop him walking and leaning in as subtly as possible to sniff at him. “That’s why you don’t smell, those stupid suppressants are taking your smell away,” Josh accused with furrowed brows, before whining long and distressed.

“Yeah, they take a lot of the smell away. So I can use body spray with odor neutralizer and nobody even has to know I’m an omega,” Tyler explained like this was great news, and it did nothing to ease Josh’s distress. Josh whined once more and Tyler placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Relax, Josh, it’s okay. It’s better for me, and safer. No more bullying, and I’m not an easy target this way,” he reasoned, and though he had some good points, Josh’s inner alpha was having a small meltdown. Josh swallowed it down and nodded sulkily, which seemed to be good enough for Tyler, as he turned back to continue their trek across campus.

When they arrived, Josh faltered, unsure of how to say goodbye. Tyler made it a bit easier on him, taking the lead and patting Josh’s shoulder the way Josh did when they first ran into each other, dismissing him casually with something like, “alright, man, see ya,” and then disappearing into the other students entering the room. Josh let out a small grumble before heading towards his own classroom.

They saw each other once more as the buses were loading up, and Tyler offered for Josh to come over. Josh agreed instantly, powerless to deny Tyler anything, and after some sweet-talking to the bus driver, Josh was allowed to tag along to Tyler’s house. Tyler’s parents greeted Josh fondly when he entered, and Josh returned their warm greetings before following Tyler up the stairs.

They ended up playing Grand Theft Auto San Andreas for three hours (well, Josh played and Tyler watched and encouraged with giggles and gasps), and then Tyler's mother called them down for dinner and Josh was offered a plate and a seat at the table with the rest of the family, which he happily accepted.

“So what have you boys been up to?” Tyler’s mom asked curiously.

“Playing GTA,” they answered simultaneously before meeting eyes and giggling.

“Jinx!”

“Jinx!” Tyler was just barely slower than Josh, and Josh puffed out his chest proudly while Tyler pouted. Josh lightly punched his shoulder as a consolation prize and they both went back to eating with small smiles on their faces.

+

Their visits to each other’s houses became a daily thing, and eventually they worked out a nice routine.  A few days before Tyler was set to start his heat, Josh would have to come to Tyler’s for the next two, and leave early on the second. It was easy to time it because when Josh felt his rut coming, he knew Tyler’s heat was coming and he could go home and stay there for the week. Tyler’s heats were shorter and not very intense at all, thanks to the suppressants, so as soon as Josh’s rut was finished, he could head straight to Tyler’s house and they could get back to playing video games or watching TV or walking to Taco Bell or climbing trees in the woods in Josh’s back yard.

What none of them considered was the inconsistency and unreliability—not to mention adverse effects—of Tyler’s suppressants. It wasn’t until one day a year later, and a year into Tyler’s suppressant use, that it came to everyone’s attention. They had just finished dinner and headed back up to Tyler’s room to hang out when Tyler paled.

“It’s really fricking hot, man, I’m burning up,” He complained to Josh. Josh shrugged, because he felt fine, but he did a doubletake when he saw Tyler’s face. He looked paler than usual, but what caught Josh’s attention was his flushed cheeks and dark eyes, and the faraway look in them. Less than a second later, it was the smell that caught his attention, and the scent was immediately followed with a whine from Tyler, both hands balled into fistfuls of the front of his own shirt. Josh grabbed for Tyler’s fists and massaged them until they loosened enough for him to take hold of them and guide Tyler the rest of the way to his room, closing the door behind them and guiding Tyler to the bed. He acted on instinct, piling together Tyler’s blankets and pillows into a little nest. Tyler was twitching in place, looking torn between going for Josh and going for the nest. Josh made the decision for him, leading him over to the nest and helping him in before climbing in himself. Considering the death grip Tyler had on him, he wouldn’t have gotten a choice.

“You’re okay,” He soothed, wrapping his arms around Tyler, and Tyler whimpered again before clearing his throat.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, I’m not due for another week and even if I were, it’s not usually this bad, I can tell already. This is bad. I’m scared,” Tyler said in a soft, timid voice.

“You’re okay, I promise. I’m right here,” Josh comforted, pulling Tyler closer and petting his hair.

“These suppressants were never a good idea, were they?” Tyler sounded suspiciously close to tears, and Josh instinctively squeezed where his arms were wrapped around the boy.

“I didn’t think so. But they made the last year manageable, right?” Josh offered optimistically. Tyler nodded begrudgingly before whining again. Josh rubbed his back and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He wasn’t really sure what else to do, and he could feel his rut coming early now thanks to Tyler’s early heat. He studiously ignored his hardening member and heating skin in favor of cooing at Tyler and rocking him back and forth comfortingly, but there was no doubt Tyler could smell it in the air, and Josh knew this was a bad idea. He was going to get himself into trouble, he just knew it. How were they going to pull this off without mating?

Tyler started shivering after a few minutes, and Josh already had him so completely cocooned that there wasn’t much else he could possibly do. He ran his hands through Tyler’s hair, which was a bit sweaty and matted already, and Josh’s fingers caught on the locks. Tyler mewled and pressed his hips forward, and Josh’s sharp intake of breath only filled his senses with Tyler’s thick, enticing scent. Josh bit down hard on his lip and pulled his fingers from Tyler’s hair, turning his hand and using the flat side of it to pet over Tyler’s hair gently, focusing on reigning himself in.

After a few hours, Tyler’s mom knocked on the door, calling through it, “boys, it’s late. About time for Josh to leave.” After a beat, she pushed the door open frantically, most likely having caught the smell through the door. When she saw them in their nest, whatever color was left in her face quickly drained. “Nonono, Josh, get out,” she demanded immediately. A growl ripped from Josh’s throat, and though he felt awful about it, he didn’t have much of a choice. Not only was an omega trying to give him orders during his rut, but the order was to remove Josh from his omega during a heat. Fat chance, and they all knew it. She somehow still seemed surprised by Josh’s growl, her eyes widening and her face panicked. “Oh, fuck,” and with that, she ran back out of the room, presumably to retrieve Tyler’s father. Josh kept his grip tight on Tyler, who was quietly whining all the while. Josh went back to petting his hair soothingly until he heard footsteps frantically approaching from the hallway. Josh’s assumption was correct, and Tyler’s father was tearing into the room.

“Josh, please get out,” He said, far more politely than Tyler’s mother, but in an alpha command that was definitely not lost on Josh. Rather than hear the polite addition of “please,” all Josh’s inner alpha heard was another alpha challenging him right in front of his omega. An even louder, fiercer growl ripped from Josh’s throat, his hair standing on end and his eyes flashing red. Tyler’s mom threw her hand over her mouth from behind her mate, who looked unsurprised by Josh’s response.

“There’s nothing we can do, honey, come on,” he began to lead her out with a gentle hand on her shoulder, turning back to Josh at the last minute. “Josh, there are waters under the bed. There’s a little bit of food in the mini fridge but probably not enough. I’ll be bringing up some more later. Good luck,” He said resignedly, sounding like he wanted to say more but not wanting to disturb Josh further. He pulled the door closed quickly before Josh heard hasty footsteps descending the stairs.

Josh turned his attention back to Tyler, who was quietly whining, and Josh reached over and massaged at his scent gland, and Tyler reached up to do the same to Josh, comforting each other. It only took about five minutes of this before they both became scent drunk and drifted into a fitful sleep.

The next week went by similarly, just scenting each other and snuggling aggressively, attempting to comfort each other through the pain and discomfort of their respective cycles. Tyler spent much of his time sobbing and screaming, and Josh couldn’t do much but press Tyler’s nose into his scent gland and wrap him into a tight grip in their little nest, waiting for that bout to pass. Any time one of them had to go to the bathroom that adjoined Tyler’s bedroom, the other would stalk after them protectively, standing at the door and watching for intruders instinctively, trying to protect their mate in a state of vulnerability.

Josh used every second Tyler managed to sleep to quietly, furiously masturbate next to him, feeling guilty and sick with himself, but unable to stave off the urge any other way. Tyler, for his part, had it far worse than Josh, and he tried to ignore it as best he could, but he was so close to the edge that he ended up reaching spontaneous orgasms at random intervals throughout the day and night, always followed by crying and the sour smell of what was clearly a very ashamed, very embarrassed Tyler. Josh would scoop him up every time and coo at him, whispering that he was okay and normal. Josh didn’t think anything about the situation was normal, but he did his best to reassure Tyler regardless, because he didn’t want his omega feeling any more self-conscious about his status.

When they both woke up feeling level-headed again, Josh was blanketed with heavy relief. They actually made it! Tyler, on the other hand, seemed to be unable to meet Josh’s eye, and he quickly muttered something about a shower before flitting off into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. The feeling of rejection hit Josh like a ton of bricks, tears welling in his eyes. Alphas were always emotionally exhausted and oversensitive after a rut, and Josh couldn’t really help but quietly cry to himself. He wanted nothing more than a shower, but he wasn’t going to sit here and wait for Tyler to reemerge when he clearly wanted nothing to do with Josh.

Josh maneuvered the house carefully, using his heightened post-rut senses to listen for anyone in the house and avoid them. Once he had made a successful exit, he broke into a sprint for his house, and barged into his front door without hesitation, tearing through the kitchen and ignoring his parents very concerned greeting and inquiries. He made a beeline for his shower, locking the door behind him the same way Tyler had. He spent his shower telling himself that he was ridiculous for being so upset, and that Tyler would still like him, but a big part of him was arguing back that he was wrong about that.


	4. Four

     Josh’s mother had the decency to let him shower in peace, and she allowed all of five minutes for him to get dressed after the water stopped running. It took all the patience she had, even as a mother, and after the five minutes were up, she was knocking gently on his door.

“Josh, honey. Please talk to me. What happened? Are you okay? Tyler’s parents called and told us what happened. Please tell me you’re okay,” she spoke through the door, leaning on the doorframe. There was a short pause, but no response, so she continued. “I know mating for the first time is daunting and scary but I can help you if you’ll just talk to me.” She waited quietly, and after about a full minute, just as she was wondering if she should just walk away or barge in, the door opened and made the decision for her. Josh looked positively miserable, eyes red and puffy far more than what shower steam would do.

“We didn’t mate,” Josh said meekly, eyes downcast. Josh’s mother had been rendered speechless at this proclamation, so Josh continued. “I just held him and he cried and screamed a lot, and it was so scary, and I _growled_ at his _parents_ , and then after all that, Tyler doesn’t even speak to me. We made it and he acts like he doesn’t ever want to see me again,” Josh started crying again halfway into the first sentence, and his mom was rushing forward to hug him by the time he was finished speaking.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay. That must have been so difficult for both of you. He’s probably just scared, sweetie. He wants to see you again, I promise. He’s your mate. He’ll come around,” she reassured in a soothing voice, rubbing Josh’s back as she spoke.

“Not my mate. Technically. We haven’t mated,” Josh corrected pessimistically. Josh’s mother pulled back to look at him.

“He’s your mate, Josh,” her voice sternly states, “and I’m very proud of you for respecting his boundaries and not taking advantage. You’re such a wonderful alpha.” Josh preened at the praise, and admittedly, it did make him feel better.

“Thanks, mom,” he smiled a tentative, somewhat sheepish smile at her, and she ruffled his hair.

“That’s my boy, enough moping around. You should be proud of yourself. Except for growling at Mr. and Mrs. Joseph. I know it’s not your fault, but you will call and apologize right now, young man,” She ordered. Josh nodded obediently at one of the only two omegas who could ever get away with bossing him around.

Josh turned around to walk back to his bed where he had been sulking before his mom knocked, pulling his phone from his back pocket as he went. He clicked on the contact for Tyler’s dad before lowering himself to the pillow and listening to the ringing. It only rang twice before the line clicked open, and Josh heard Mr. Joseph’s familiar voice on the other end.

“Good afternoon, Josh. Did you slip out already?” Josh winced at how rude he had been to leave without saying goodbye.

“Yes, I’m sorry about that, I just really needed to go home and shower and change. But thank you for being so understanding about me staying over, and all. I also want to apologize to you and ma for… growling at you guys. I’m so embarrassed,” Josh confessed bashfully.

“Of course, Josh. We understand,” a short pause. “How did, uh… how did everything go?” Tyler’s dad sounded unsure, but concerned. Josh could appreciate a father’s love for his son.

“Fine, I think. You’ll have to ask Tyler for his opinion, but everything went okay, and nobody got hurt or anything,” Josh assured awkwardly, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to disclose. He knows Mr. Joseph wants to know if Josh mated Tyler, but somehow spouting out, ‘I didn’t fuck your son,’ doesn’t seem to be a very tactful approach. He’d see his son’s unmarked neck before long, in any case.

“Okay, good. Good,” Mr. Joseph said softly, before picking up his volume again, “Well, I really appreciate your call, sir. And no worries about the growling, I’d have done the same!” Mr. Joseph chuckles over the line. Josh half-smiles in response.

“Thank you, Mr. Joseph. I know it must have been a handful, but thanks for being hospitable still,” Josh rambled a bit.

“Of course, of course! Get some rest, son! You know we love you,” Mr. Joseph responded cheerily, and Josh smiled fully then.

“Love you guys, too,” He said, blushing despite being alone in his room. He pulled his phone away from his face to touch the red “End call” button, and his eyes shifted up involuntarily, desperate to see an unread message icon at the top of the screen, but there was only three bars of service and a half full battery. He locked his phone and flung it away as though it burned him. He blinked back tears and rolled his eyes at himself when it felt safe to do so. He dreaded facing Tyler in school the following day.

+

 The next morning came sooner than it rightfully should have, and Josh was even more miserable than he had been when he first returned home the day before. He avoided all his usual routes, sneaking behind buildings and through the stairways farther from the entrance that no one ever took. He made it through the entire day without seeing Tyler once, and as he climbed onto his bus home, he thought he should feel proud, but all he felt was miserable.

He didn’t feel any better as the night continued, retreating to his room to work on homework when he got home, and avoiding conversation during dinner. He climbed into bed far earlier than usual, feeling emotionally drained enough to sleep a millennium.

+

_Tyler became suddenly tense in Josh’s arms, all his muscles going taut and a whine sprouting from his pouting mouth. Josh could see the lumps of hard muscle in Tyler’s jaw from where he was gritting his teeth. He looked up at Josh with a look of fear and shame, and then his mouth fell open just as suddenly and his face screwed up in a pained look._

_Josh perked up, sitting up a bit to watch as Tyler rolled away and onto his back, gripping the sheets with white knuckles on either side of his small frame. Josh braced himself, thinking they were going to hit another rough patch and Tyler would be screaming in pain, but the scream that followed didn’t seem like one of pain. Tyler’s eyebrows were drawn up as his mouth fell open in a perfect “O” and he threw his head back. He thrusted his hips up fruitlessly into empty air a couple of times, but what really caught Josh’s eye was the way he ground his ass back against the bed, hard and languid, but desperate. Then, just as quickly, he was drawing in high-pitched gasps of air as a wet patch made itself visible in the front of his tight boxer briefs._

Josh woke with a start to the twitching of his own hips, riding out the aftershocks from an intense orgasm that he wasn’t even conscious for. He whined high in the back of his throat, ashamed of himself for coming over a situation that ended up being so upsetting for his omega. It was only seconds after that spontaneous orgasm that Tyler let out a wail, and then was sobbing in a tiny ball while Josh wrapped protective arms around him and rubbed his back reassuringly, ignoring that he was so hard he could come from a gust of air blowing in the right direction. And now here he was having wet dreams about it. Josh swallowed the lump in his throat as he dragged himself out of bed and towards his bathroom for a much needed shower.

+

Josh spent the next three days navigating the hallways in avoidance of Tyler, and he felt himself growing angry at Tyler as time went on. Josh had been a gentleman, he had taken care of his omega. He apologized to Tyler’s parents, and they had no problem forgiving him, so what was Tyler’s problem? What started out as sneaking around with his metaphorical tail between his legs ended up as skulking through the halls grumpily, puffing out his chest and crossing his arms to paint a very intimidating picture, his angry alpha scent the cherry on top.

It was Friday when he was stomping towards his school bus that he heard a timid, high voice that would stop him in his tracks any day.

“Joshie, please,” Josh skidded to a halt and swirled around to face Tyler. Tyler was several paces away from him, but he stopped when Josh did, keeping his distance. Josh stared at Tyler expectantly, waiting. “Please stop being mad at me, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” Tyler’s voice broke into water, and his eyes became rapidly shiny. Josh rushed towards him, unable to watch his omega cry, especially when he was asking something of Josh. Tyler welcomed Josh’s advance, readily burying himself in Josh’s chest and letting out a stifled sob. Josh rubbed the back of his hair soothingly, cradling his head in a protective gesture.

“You’re okay, Ty. It’s okay, we’re okay.” Josh whispered, glancing around warily. They were already getting stares, and if anybody saw an alpha protectively cradling a small subtle-smelling person who was clearly wearing scent-blocker, they would put two and two together. But Josh was damned if he was going to let go. Tyler sniffled and pushed into Josh’s chest even farther, breathing in deep to inhale his scent. Josh kept a firm hand behind his head and Tyler grew heavier in his arms as Josh’s scent enveloped him. Josh could smell his scent pouring off of him instinctively, reacting to his omega’s distress.

“Ty. Ty, come on. Let’s go home, yeah? We’ll talk,” Josh was pulling away and tugging Tyler towards the busses, but Tyler resisted and pulled Josh in the opposite direction, towards the front of the school. Josh followed cautiously, glancing around to see if they were being watched. Once Tyler got them out to the front of the school, he pulled Josh towards the bushes next to the school’s signage, tugging Josh down with him as he lowered himself to the ground between two large shrubs. When Josh sunk to the ground with him, Tyler immediately climbed into his lap, squirming and nuzzling his face into Josh’s neck and chest and humming a low, steady noise of appreciation.  

Josh subtly retrieved his phone from his pocket and shot his mom a text to pick them up, because clearly Tyler had no concern for getting home. In fact, if Josh didn’t know better, he would say that Tyler was nesting, but he obviously knew Tyler just got out of heat. He focused on meeting Tyler halfway, so glad to have him back after the long days of avoidance. As Tyler continued to nuzzle, Josh let his hands roam over Tyler, just stroking whatever skin he could access, slipping his hands under Tyler’s hoddie sleeve or sliding them over the sharp jut of hipbone under the hem of his shirt. Tyler was practically purring, rubbing himself against Josh more earnestly then. Josh didn't even realize what they were doing until Tyler’s hips rutted forward the smallest amount, and then Josh realized they were both hard, and treading on dangerous territory.

Josh gripped Tyler’s hips once more, and though it pained him, he used the grip to push Tyler off of him. Tyler pouted up at Josh from where he was now stationed in the patch of pinestraw. It was then that Josh’s mom pulled in, and Josh had never been so relieved to see her. He gripped Tyler around the biceps and hauled him up and towards the car. Tyler went more easily than Josh expected, seeming prepared to follow Josh wherever he went. Josh felt warmth spread through his chest at the idea.

Josh climbed into the back seat with Tyler following close behind. Josh’s mom choked on a gag at the smell, rolling the windows down immediately.

“He’s scent drunk,” She stated in lieu of a greeting. Josh tilted his head, confused. As far as Josh has heard, getting an omega scent drunk can often lead to a whole second, mini-heat. Josh scrubbed a hand over his face exasperatedly. This was going to be yet another challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. SO SORRY for the long updates, life has been EXTREMELY stressful.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long updates.  
> To reward you for your patience, I bring you a Long Chapter! (longer than usual, anyway)  
> Enjoy! <3

Josh’s mom pulled up to their house much quicker than she might have usually, were it not for the sweating, whining omega in the back seat. She headed straight for the medicine cabinet, Josh following unsurely, and procured a small, green bottle that Josh had never noticed. The bottle read “Scent Stabilizer,” boasting a slogan about keeping control of your life. Josh looked up at his mother with a confused expression, awaiting further instruction.

“Give him one of these, I’ll get you some water. It takes about thirty minutes to work, but you’ll want to stay will him until then. It’s the best way to do this.” She finished explaining as she hurried off to the kitchen in a whir and poured a glass of water for Tyler. Josh helped Tyler to take the pill as he addressed his mom, Tyler leaning heavily into his side.

“I didn’t know they made pills for this,” he said to her as he wrapped his arm instinctively around Tyler, who seemed to relax even further at the notion.

“Of course! We’ve come a long way, Josh. Letting our hormones rule our life is simply impractical for modern life. Omegas have jobs, responsibilities. We can’t just take time off every time we go into heat or get scent-drunk.” She laughed dismissively, waving a hand at Josh as though he’s silly for not knowing. He wondered how much else there was out there that he didn’t know about omegas, what else they didn’t go over in health class, which is about as far as his knowledge extended. He shrugged before guiding Tyler into the living room and on the couch, tired of standing with half of Tyler’s bodyweight draped over him. Tyler followed easily, a large lump of jello plastered along Josh’s side.

Josh had only a few seconds to think more about his ignorance before Tyler nuzzled his face into Josh’s neck. His hot breath and lips grazed over Josh’s sensitive skin, and Josh shuddered, squirming away a few inches instinctively. He looked into Tyler’s eyes and saw hurt, and despite his insistence to remain the heroic, respectful alpha he’d come to be, Josh felt burned. He grabbed at Tyler’s hand and squeezed reassuringly, but Tyler only cast his eyes down and leaned his head resignedly on Josh’s shoulder. Josh wrapped his arm back around Tyler’s shoulder and bent it up at the elbow so he could pet his hand over Tyler’s hair, Tyler’s head falling onto Josh’s chest. They squirmed a bit before settling, and sat in silence to wait out the medicine’s effects, interrupted once by Josh’s mother announcing that she was heading back out to finish her errands.

Josh could feel when it started to kick in, Tyler stiffening up beside him. Josh carefully withdrew his hand and scooted away incrementally, and Tyler finally looked up at him, only to show Josh sad eyes. Josh felt the punch to his gut once again, only wanting to make it better.

“You okay?” Josh inquired quietly. Tyler closed his eyes in a long blink, nodding slowly before opening them again. There was a moment of tense silence before Tyler finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

“I’m sorry about everything,” he croaked, his eyes downcast once more. Josh furrowed his brows in confusion, wracking his brain for anything Tyler may feel bad about, and coming up empty.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for?” Josh answered with enough inflection that he was really asking a question, _what are you sorry for?_

“I was so embarrassed after my heat, it was so awkward and improper of me, and I thought you’d be revolted by me because you’re so in control and I’m clearly not, and then I follow you around and cling to you like some kind of idiot, in school, _in front of people_. Made us miss the bus so your mom had to come all the way to get us and then after all those day apart, I smelled you, and it was just too much, I don’t know. I’m sorry. I wish I could be in control like you,” Tyler trailed off, seeming defeated. Josh ran back over everything in his head and he must’ve looked so dumbfounded.

“Wait, rewind. Why on Earth would I ever be revolted by you? And what was awkward and improper, going into heat? Do you hear how silly that sounds, Tyler? It’s perfectly natural.” Josh insisted incredulously. He was just on the edge of raising his voice, but he felt like shaking Tyler at the shoulders for being so far off.

“I… I lost control. Several times. The whole time, really. But I really didn’t mean to have an orgasm in front of you, I tried to stop it, I really did.” Tyler was beet red, and he looked incredibly distressed and uncomfortable. Josh stuttered for a moment, blindsided.

“That’s what this is about?” He said softly after some fumbling. Tyler stared down at his hands as he nodded. Josh cupped his hands over Tyler’s shoulders like he’d wanted to a moment ago, though he refrained from shaking the poor boy. “Tyler, that is not your fault at all. What we did took a lot of restraint. For two mates to spend a cycle together without mating… it’s probably never even happened! Honestly, we got off easy. I’m proud of you, not _revolted_. And after all that, you were so stand-offish that I got all petty and mad and ignored you for days. I should be the one who’s sorry, and I am. I won’t do it again, okay?” Josh slid his hands from Tyler’s shoulder down to his arms, rubbing over them gently in a comforting display of affection. He moved one hand up to cup the crown of Tyler’s head, pressing a kiss to his forehead. When he pulled away, Tyler’s skin was back to its regular shade and the look of shame was gone, but the sadness stayed in his eyes and Josh needed to make it go away.

“Ty, _what’s wrong_? Please, tell me. Something is wrong, I can see it. Please don’t keep things from me, especially things that upset you.” Tyler looked hesitant for the briefest of moments, and Josh could see it in his eyes the moment Tyler threw hesitation out the window, his eyes hardening into a resolved determination.

“You don’t want me. Like I don’t get it, are we like friend-mates? You’re still here but you don’t want to mate me. I can tell. I get that you want to respect my parents’ wishes, but you touch me the way a parent would touch their child. It’s all snuggles and hugs and _kisses on my forehead_. I don’t know much about mating, but I’m pretty sure that isn’t how mates touch each other.” Josh was dumbfounded once again, his mouth falling open and his eyes widening comically.

“Dude, you don’t get it at all, do you? This whole time I’ve been fighting against nature to put my respect for you first, just so you can complain about it? Like, I’m supposed to push your boundaries—and my own—until you feel properly wanted, but without mating you? Tyler, I’m strong-willed, not immortal. I don’t know why on Earth you would think that any human possesses the will power to only get half-intimate with their mate without actually mating them. It’s hard enough to resist you when I keep this much of a distance. I couldn’t possibly—“ He cut himself off, feeling like he had a more important point to make. “Anyway, it’s not even really about that. We’re mates, yeah. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to assume that you want anything even remotely mate-like from me. _I respect you_ , Tyler. That’s the takeaway here. I’m not going to just kiss you or touch you like mates do, you haven’t even expressed the desire for any of that—“

“Bullcrap! I just did, and you jumped away from me like I was disgusting!” Tyler interrupted, looking genuinely angry at Josh for respecting him. Josh would’ve laughed if he didn’t feel like yelling.

“I jumped away from you like you gave me a boner, actually, because you did, _and_ you were scent-drunk, and that’s _not_ how you avoid mating!” Josh raised his voice and enunciated every syllable for dramatic effect, too stubborn to worry about crossing lines. He realized what he said just after the words left his mouth and widened his eyes, his angry demeanor slipping off to make way for one of embarrassment. Tyler gasped, and they stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before Tyler’s laughter cut through the tense air suddenly. Josh dissolved under Tyler’s shiny gaze, his dimpled smile Josh’s greatest weakness, and then Josh was snorting and giggling right along with him.

Their laughter died down after a few moments and Tyler wiped his tears as he returned to making eye contact. “Really though?” he asked tentatively, and Josh responded with a roll of his eyes and a nod. Tyler looked suddenly bashful then, his cheeks tinting and his ears drawing up as everything tensed. He cleared his throat and persevered, fighting through the fact that he was clearly uncomfortable once again. “But if you—uh… if you want me then how come you didn’t—when you were in your rut and I was—and I kept—and you didn’t…” Tyler made a very vague motion with his hand towards his own crotch and he was completely red and he tried to force his way through the sentence. Josh almost didn’t catch onto what Tyler was talking about, and when he did, he was so focused on understanding that his answer was casual and ineloquent.

“Oh, I did it while you were sleeping,” his face contorted into one of disgruntled shock after realizing what he had disclosed, but he didn’t allow himself to feel embarrassed. This was his mate, and if there was anything he wanted to know from Josh, then Josh would tell him. Tyler, on the other hand, looked so shocked an mortified, Josh thought he would faint, but then he giggled unexpectedly again, much to Josh’s relief.

“Well, that’s lucky timing, I guess,” Tyler joked shyly. Josh was confused once more before he caught up.

“Well, I mean I didn’t wait until it was involuntary, I just jerked off really quick whenever I thought I could do it without disturbing you,” Josh supplied, though he was starting to feel like he was trying to put together a puzzle that he didn’t have all the pieces for. Tyler just looked at him for a moment, his face blank save for his furrowed brows. He carefully schooled his face then, and nodded. Josh shrugged it off before saying what he had really been wanting to, now that they were getting everything out in the open.

“You know, you could’ve, like, used whatever you usually do for your heat. Like, whatever fake knot toy you have? I know it seems hypocritical of me since I waited till you were sleeping, but I bet you would’ve suffered much less if you’d given yourself some relief.” Josh carefully explained, hoping he didn’t make Tyler too uncomfortable.

“Used my… did what?” He asked slowly, looking thoroughly confused and curious. Josh attempted to remain calm, taking in several deep breaths. Because surely he didn’t have a mate that didn’t know what masturbating was. Surely.

“Tyler. Have you never touched yourself?” Josh asked in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper, afraid he might chase Tyler off with anymore volume. Tyler wrung his hands together immediately, looking vaguely embarrassed for not knowing something he was apparently supposed to. His only response was to shrug and shake his head at the same time, looking utterly lost. Josh tried to take it in stride, pulling in a deep, head-clearing breath before nodding. “Okay. That’s fine. What all do you know about mating?”

“Um, well I know it’s usually between a man and a woman, alpha and omega. Male omegas are rare. Usually more aggressive and demanding than female omegas, according to my doctor, and usually have much more difficult heats. We’re rare, kinda because we’re basically mutations. Genetically speaking, we don’t make any sense, and we shouldn’t exist—“

“Stop that.” Josh cut in abruptly. “Stop talking like that, Tyler. You’re here for a reason, and you’re perfect for me. Don’t talk like that. Go on to like, what you know about the act of mating itself. Or just like sex in general.”  Tyler was quiet for a long while, looking lost for words.

“Um, I—I don’t. My parents pulled me out of health when we learned about it in school. They thought I was too young and then I had my first heat later that year and they said it was for the best that I stayed in the dark while I was still so young. I mean I know some slang stuff I’ve worked out, like I know what a boner is or like kissing? Is a thing…” Tyler trailed off, once again looking lost. Josh sat in stunned silence for a very long while, torn between wanting to cradle Tyler protectively and wanting to scream at Tyler’s parents. Josh couldn’t imagine getting through a rut without jacking off, and here Tyler was navigating heats without it.

“Right. Well, I think I should have a little talk with your parents, then.” Josh said sternly, feeling a mild, righteous anger that they would allow Tyler any ignorance that might have potentially reduced all the suffering Josh now knew Tyler endured. Tyler just looked scared, curling into Josh’s side as they waited for his mother to arrive home and give them a ride to Tyler’s. Josh was going to teach Tyler everything he should rightly know, and he was going to make that much clear to Tyler’s parents.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild update appeared! Now that everyone has probably given up on this fic lol.   
> I'm really sorry for the scarce updates. Life briefly beat me down, but I'm back up now, and back to writing!   
> Please let me know of any mistakes as this is unedited.  
> I hope this chapter finds you well :)

When Josh’s mother returns, Josh politely requests that she drop him off so he can spend some time there. She argues a bit, not wanting to go back to pick him up later. He reasons that Tyler’s parents can probably take him, or he can even walk. It’s about four miles, which would be really no big deal to Josh. His mom agrees, noticing that he seems very determined. Josh holds Tyler’s hand as he walks, and though it’s still as a parent would hold their child’s hand rather than interlocking their fingers the way couples usually do, it gives Tyler a rush of butterflies regardless. He smiles at his shoes as he lets Josh pull him out to the car. The car ride is quiet and tense. Tyler and Josh both know something uncomfortable is about to transpire, and probably Josh’s mom thinks it’s just residual embarrassment from having been scent drunk.

When the car pulls into Tyler’s driveway, Josh quietly thanks his mom for the ride before heading for Tyler’s front door, letting Tyler lead the way at this point. When Tyler opens the door, they are greeted immediately with the noises of a full family. Tyler’s siblings are all downstairs with his parents, Zack enjoying a fruit roll up and Maddy watching television. Tyler’s parents are cooking dinner in the kitchen chatting with Jay about his grades. They interrupt themselves when Tyler walks in with Josh in tow.

“Josh, honey, we didn’t know you were coming over! It’s nice to see you!” She pauses to shoo Jay out of the kitchen, who happily scoots, glad to escape the conversation. “So scent-drunk, huh?” Josh rolls his eyes, of course his mom would call Tyler’s parents. She just laughs softly, seemingly only teasing rather than actually wanting any information from the two of them.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you two about,” Josh croaks out nervously, immediately clearing his throat and straightening his posture. After Tyler’s parents pause for a moment and Josh doesn’t continue, one of them presses on.

“Well what is it?” Josh’s mom inquires. Josh hesitates.

“I–I was hoping we could all sit down. Privately.” He elaborated. They both tensed considerably, but their faces did not look at Josh with anything but warmth and affection.

“Oh, alright. After dinner then, the kids always scatter when the food is gone,” she jokes softly, still tense as she mashes the potatoes. Josh smiles, sending a single nod their way before he gestures for Tyler to follow him, and they head out to sit on the porch swing out back. When they’re seated, Tyler speaks for the first time in a while.

“What are you gonna say to them?” He asks softly, sounding more nervous than Josh is. Josh pauses for a few moments, looking pensive.

“I’m going to let your parents know that it’s time you were… educated about sex. Well, about masturbating, more specifically. And I intend to be the one to tell you how to do it, because I think it’ll be a bit less awkward than if they were to do so.” Josh pauses, and there is only tense silence. “Is that okay?” Josh asks softly, realizing he hasn’t asked yet. Tyler looks massively uncomfortable, but he just shrugs nonchalantly. He opens his mouth to speak, but just then the door opens.

“Hey bud, sorry to interrupt, but your mother would like you to come in and set the table,” Tyler’s dad says jovially from the doorframe.

“Sure, dad,” Tyler agrees, already pulling himself to a standing position as Josh follows suit. They work together to complete the task at hand, Josh placing silverware on the napkins Tyler has placed as Tyler sets the plates and salad bowls around.

“Alright, teamwork!” Josh announces, holding up his hand for Tyler to high five. Tyler slaps his hand with all his might, stinging just a bit. They grin at each other for a flash before heading to the kitchen to choose their drinks. They each carry a can of Dr Pepper to the table where they pick their seats and settle in, awaiting dinner. Tyler’s mom follows right after them, carrying a platter of meatloaf with two hot pads and setting the platter onto the doily in the center of the table. The rest of the food follows, each family member carrying a different side dish. Josh’s stomach growls, and the awkward nervousness he feels is thrown out in favor of food.

It returns the moment his hunger is satisfied, but he politely remains seated at the table awaiting the end of dinner. Jay is the first to excuse himself, and then Maddy hops up like she’s been waiting for someone else to leave first. They both rinse their plates obediently before heading for the stairs. Zack is texting under the table, and doesn’t seem to notice their departure until the tense air seems to distract him from his phone long enough to look up and see everyone looking very uncomfortable. Clearly, that’s his cue. He forgoes rinsing his plate in his eagerness to escape, and Josh doesn’t blame. Even Kelly doesn’t call him on it. Instead, she turns, rather uncomfortably, towards Josh, as does Chris. Tyler stares down at his hands upon noticing this. Josh clears his throat before hastily interrupting himself before he even starts.

“Wait Tyler, you never said before, if this was okay,” Josh speaks softly, placing a gentle hand on Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler shifts his eyes around, unhappy with the attention suddenly on him. He settles down a bit when he makes eye contact with Josh.

“I mean, you’d know better than I do. If it’s okay. If you think it’s something that needs to happen, then. I trust you. I know you’ll choose what’s best.” He says softly. Josh smiles warmly at Tyler, and they smile at each other for a few seconds before Josh snaps out of it and turns his head back to Chris and Kelly. Tyler looks back down at this hands and Josh reaches over to grab one and squeeze. Tyler immediately squeezes back.

“So… I don’t know what conclusion you guys came to but I assume the suppressants are a no-go?” He’s really asking all three of them this, but Tyler keeps his head down.

“Yeah, they… obviously they stopped working. And with the adverse effects they could have, we don’t really want to be experimenting with new doses, so we’re just done with them. The doctor said he should still be able to cover his scent with scent blocker for another three weeks or so, while it’s still in his system.” She looks at Tyler with sympathy, and Josh is deeply upset with this realization. He and Tyler haven’t really spoken about quitting the suppressants, about the fact that everyone will know Tyler is an omega then. Josh feels like a terrible alpha for not considering this, as it’s bound to cause his omega great distress. He frowns, but presses on to the issue at hand.

“Well, so, without the suppressants, he’s gonna start having bad heats again. Much worse. And…” Josh pauses, squeezing Tyler’s hand for both their benefits. He clears his throat, turning his eyes directly ahead of himself, where Zack had been sitting. “He’s recently brought it to my attention that his sex education has been neglected. Getting through a full heat will be almost impossible if he doesn’t know how to take care of himself, and allowing him to go through heats without knowing how to relieve himself is just irresponsible. He could have really hurt himself. So now that I know he’s uneducated on the matter, I intend to explain these things to him. I don’t want to interfere with your parenting, but I intend to protect him, and if part of your parenting includes putting him in a position in which he’s suffering more than he has to, then I’m afraid I must intervene. I very much respect you both, but I mean, you heard him screaming, _you_ know. And I was there, he was miserable. It was a really hard time for him. And I don’t know if my presence helped or hurt, but I know what _would have_ helped a lot. So I’m going to do what I can to make sure that he gets the opportunity from now on. I just wanted to let you both know.” Josh finishes his speech, just like he’d practiced, and boy does he want to crawl in a hole. He looks over at Tyler for reassurance; it had to be done.

Tyler’s parents look insanely uncomfortable, and Josh is actually expecting Chris to sprint away. Kelly’s voice croaks a tiny noise out of her open mouth, but she’s too shocked to speak. Chris breaks the silence then, seeing his omega’s struggle.

“It wasn’t our intention to make things more difficult for him than they needed to be. We just thought thirteen was awfully young to be learning these things, most people don’t find their mates until they’re around eighteen. We didn’t know it would happen so soon. By then, we were too embarrassed to address it, and we guessed that between public school and going into heat, that he’d figured it out himself.” Chris finishes, blushing and avoiding eye contact as much as everyone else is. Tyler looks so embarrassed and ashamed, like he feels like an idiot. Josh squeezes his hand once more, stroking his thumb softly back and forth over Tyler’s skin.

“Right, well. Okay. I’m glad we cleared that up. We’re going to leave the room now,” Josh promises stiffly as he stands, recognizing the chance to escape now that he's delivered the message he wanted to.

“Well, before you go—“ Kelly finally speaks and Josh drops back to his chair. “Just, thank you for being so protective and careful with Tyler. You’re a better mate for him than we could ever have imagined. So thank you. And please, just. Try not to mate him just yet. At least until he’s sixteen.” Josh blushes then, as does Tyler, but Josh quickly responds.

“No, of-of course not. Thank you.” He responds with palpable discomfort, but still happy with the praise he’s received.

“Okay, run along, you two,” Chris shoos, fanning his hands towards them with a smile. Josh returns his smile and helps Tyler up from his chair, not letting go of his hand as he heads up the stairs.

He’s rather eager to get started, for Tyler’s sake, of course. Just to help Tyler, nothing else. He carefully closes Tyler’s bedroom door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone still here?


	7. Seven

The boys are seated comfortably on Tyler’s bed while Josh clears his throat awkwardly. Tyler looks quite embarrassed himself, but he’s looking to Josh eagerly, curiously awaiting instruction. Josh feels his face redden, half due to the awkward nature of the situation, and half due to his shameful arousal at the thought of Tyler learning this from him. He clears his throat again and presses on, hoping to clear his head as well.

“Okay. Look. There are, like. Two things… you could be doing. When you’re in heat. That, like. You’re supposed to be doing? I guess? To help with the… discomfort.” Josh should have practiced a speech for this part too, good lord. Tyler nods and keeps looking at Josh like he has all the answers. “The first thing, is like the most common thing that people mean, I guess, in reference to, um. Male masturbation? So that’s like. Where you. When you’re hard, and you um… Jesus! This is difficult.” Josh interrupts himself exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair.

“Josh. I… I know I said I was okay with all this if, like, you thought it was best. But honestly I’d really rather, just…. Not? I’ll just wait. This is uncomfortable for everyone and I just—”

“No, no, please! I’m sorry, I got this! I just, it’s… people don’t usually talk about this stuff in detail really. But it’s important!” Josh insists. He continues at Tyler’s head-shaking, looking like he wants to argue. “Look, I’m not saying you have to do these things. But I want you to know how to safely do them and what they can help if like… If you’re in heat and you’re in a lot of pain and you want to know what to do. Then at least you’ll have the choice.” Josh pats Tyler’s shoulder reassuringly, and Tyler hesitantly nods, huffing as he leans back against the wall.

“Okay. I’ve got this; this is fine. So, jacking off, right. That’s where you pleasure yourself by uh.. stimulating the penis. You just go back and forth like this.” Josh holds up his hand in a ring shape with his fingers, waving his hand back and forth in the universal sign that everyone recognizes. Tyler nods understandingly, looking like he figured as much but knew that wasn’t the information he needed. “Okay, and then the other thing. That you could be doing. Probably the more important thing… Look, there’s a lot that’s sort of different about your anatomy. Because you’re a male omega.” Tyler flinches, feeling like a freak for his rating, as usual. “Which is rare, but not anything to be ashamed of.” Josh amends, cupping a steady hand over one of Tyler’s biceps to get his attention. Tyler nods, looking somewhat subdued. “So… anyway, when you’re in heat. And you get all wet? Like? Your ass?” Tyler suddenly and unexpectedly tosses his head back, a breathy but hardy laugh escaping his throat. When he lowers his head again, he’s grinning, and just like that the tension dissipates.

“Sorry, sorry. It was just. You’re so eloquent, Josh,” Tyler laughs again, “Go ahead.” Josh smiles back at him for a moment before continuing.

“So when you’re wet it’s to basically accommodate for your alpha’s knot.” Josh feels more comfortable continuing now that they’ve laughed, but the room freezes over again at these words. Josh knows they’re both thinking about the fact that _Josh_ is said alpha, and that Tyler is wet for _Josh_. The tension returns, twice as thick but very different, less discomfort and more… arousal, Josh dares to think. It’s heady, but he wants to stay focused and keep charge of the situation. “But obviously as your parents mentioned, it’s maybe a bit too early for that. However, your body wants what it wants. It wants to be knotted. So, there are like. Fake knot toys or whatever that you can get, to put in there to ease your discomfort. Apparently, it helps a lot. I can get you one if you want. But until then you can use your fingers too. It might help take the edge off a _little_ bit…” Josh trails off, not really knowing how to end his statements. He shrugs instead, watching as Tyler takes in this information uncomfortably. He has a deep blush, high on his cheeks, and his eyes are glassy.

“Then what happens? Does that make me orgasm, too?” He asks curiously.

“Yeah, from what I understand. It’s supposed to feel really great.” Josh answers honestly, not really sure what it feels like, especially for a male omega. That answer seems to be enough for Tyler, who nods as though he had suspected as much anyway. “It’s crazy because I only meant to educate you but after what your mom said, like about trying not to mate you? It feels like I have permission to do everything up to that. You know? Heh…” Josh trails off awkwardly, clearly having no idea why he said any of that.

“But, you said you couldn’t. Cause it would be too tempting or whatever.” Tyler replies, seeming dejected.

“Right, no, yeah, of course. Of course that’s true. It’s just weird is all.” Josh rubs at his neck and avoids eye contact.

“Josh, I don’t actually—” _believe you. I still think you don’t want me. I’m positive of it._ Tyler doesn’t say any more of what he was thinking. What would be the point? “Never mind.”

“Hey, don’t be like that, what is it?” Josh is back to being comfortable and collected, awkwardness gone at the prospect of Tyler needing something. He is, at least, a very good friend. Tyler supposes he doesn’t have a choice in that matter.

“Nothing, really. I’m just a little nervous I guess. This has all just been… a long day.” He’s not necessarily lying, and he hopes that will be enough for Josh. It apparently is. Josh pulls him into a hug, complete with back rubs, and pulls away with a  ruffle of Tyler’s hair. Josh excuses himself after that, knowing he needs to get going if he doesn’t want to walk home in the dark. Tyler’s father intercepts Josh as he’s leaving and offers him a ride home instead, which Josh gratefully accepts as it ends up giving him time to do his homework.

“So, how did it go?” Chris asks from behind the wheel, eyes staying on the road. Josh sinks in his chair a bit.

“Just fine. I told him whatever he didn’t know.” Josh shrugs, hoping they can leave it at that.

“Great. I agree with what Kelly said earlier, we both really appreciate you, Josh. Thanks for being such a great alpha to our son.” He says sincerely. Receiving this praise from another alpha is a high honor to Josh, especially from his omega’s father. Josh’s chest swells with pride and he smiles wide, thanking Chris and otherwise speechless. He’s pulling into Josh’s driveway just a few minutes later, and Josh climbs out as he thanks Chris for the ride, still smiling.

+

As it turns out, Tyler doesn’t get the chance to put his new knowledge to work. Josh buys him a fake knot toy, and Tyler stows it away under his bed to collect dust. As the months pass, another heat doesn’t come. Josh can feel the disruption in his own cycle, having previously been perfectly healthy. Now he finds himself having vivid dreams of being in a rut, waking cold and disoriented. But a rut doesn’t come. For several months, Josh and Tyler seem to be at a standstill, unsure of what move to make. They talk it over with each other, wondering why neither of them have had cycles, but ultimately come to no conclusion or solution. It isn’t until Tyler’s parents bring it up that action is taken.

“Tyler, honey. When was your last heat?” Kelly asks one day apropos of nothing. She looks like she’s been holding back the question for a long while and finally boiled over. She also looks quite wary, as if she already knows the answer. She does, of course. She sees Tyler every day, and she knows he hasn’t been in heat for months. Tyler shrugs.

“About eight months, I guess?” Kelly closes her eyes, looking upset. She shouldn’t have let it go on for this long.

“We need to see a doctor. That’s not good. Those damn suppressants—” She shakes her head, looking worried. Tyler’s stomach ties into anxious knots as she tells him she’ll call to schedule him an appointment. He decides to call Josh, partly to fill him in, and partly because he needs Josh’s comfort. Josh tells Tyler to ask his mother if Josh can join him for the appointment. He also tells Tyler that everything is going to be fine, and offers to come over. Tyler eagerly accepts the offer as he listens to the unintelligible voice of his mother on the phone in the next room.

When Josh arrives, Tyler is curled up on the couch. Josh goes to Kelly first, to let her know he’s there and to ask her himself if he can come to Tyler’s appointment. After she tells him the doctor can’t get him in for another few weeks, Josh nods solemnly before heading towards Tyler. He utters only a simple “Hey,” as he climbs onto the couch next to Tyler, scooping him up into his own lap. Tyler curls into a tighter ball, looking like he’s trying to hide from the world. Josh understands, he’s scared too. Something is obviously wrong with his omega, his poor omega who has clearly been through enough. He brushes his fingers through Tyler’s hair soothingly, not knowing what to say. Tyler seems to drift off, and Josh figures he could use a nap himself. He resituates them both so that he’s cradling a still sleeping Tyler, the omega’s head pillowed on the shoulder of the arm Josh has wrapped around him. Once he feels they’re comfortable enough, he has no trouble drifting off.

Tyler awakes from an accidental nap feeling more refreshed and content than he has in a long while, maybe ever. It takes him a few moments to realize that it’s because he’s curled over Josh’s chest, nestled into his protective grip. It’s the closest Tyler has ever felt to believing they are actually mates. Sure, Josh takes care of him, and is always there. But he just doesn’t seem to want Tyler as more than a friend. Now, though. This feels different, refreshingly intimate. They’ve never slept together like this, excluding the time Josh was over for Tyler’s heat. That felt like a lifetime ago now, but even then it was only by necessity that Josh had any physical contact with Tyler. Maybe Tyler’s anxiety was warping his memory of things, but he had no trouble convincing himself that it was always… cold. Josh had never wanted him. It made sense, really. What alpha on Earth would want a male omega? He couldn’t even give Josh children.

After a few moments of post-nap brain function, Tyler has managed to destroy the most serene moment he has had with Josh thus far. It’s ruined now, Tyler figures, so he gets up and pads into the kitchen in search of his mom.

When Josh awakes alone, it’s with only a small tug of sadness, involuntary instinct when you wake without your mate. Especially when it’s the first time you’ve finally felt like the time was right to advance your relationship the smallest amount with cuddling. Josh thought he couldn’t lose with cuddling. He must have been wrong.

When Josh finds Tyler, he’s leaning into his mom’s side instead, watching TV with her. It’s some talk show that Tyler clearly has no interest in, but he must just want the comfort of his mother. Josh feels extremely out of place, unsure of what to do now that he’s apparently made Tyler more uncomfortable. Tyler looks over to Josh as he enters the room, but says nothing. Josh figures, as the alpha, he’d might as well take the lead.

“I guess I’m gonna head home. I’ll see you at school tomorrow?” Josh’s voice sounds too loud to his ears.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday, Josh,” Tyler reminds softly. Right.

“Uhh, right. Well, just… let me know how you’re feeling, I guess. Or if you wanna hang out,” He stammers awkwardly. He feels suddenly frustrated. Why is Tyler being so stand-offish. But, as he leads himself out, he reasons that he’s overthinking it. He must be right, because things go on as usual after that. Tyler calls him the next day and they go back to their routine of video games and movies.

The next three weeks passes by without incident, and finally Tyler’s appointment comes. Josh, Tyler, and Kelly head towards the office with anxious eagerness. After an hour long wait, the doctor finally enters the room.

“Hey, a full house, huh?” he greets upon entering the small exam room the three of them are crammed into. “I’m Doctor Byron. And who all do I have in here?” He asks, shifting his eyes between the three of them.

“Tyler Joseph,” Kelly speaks up, pointing to her son.

“And you are… his mother?” He asks. She nods, and then the doctor turns towards Josh. “And… brother?” He inquires curiously.

“I’m his mate,” Josh corrects proudly. Tyler’s stomach swoops involuntarily, and he ignores it. _Not by choice_ , he reminds his hopes before they get too high.

“Ah, a male omega then? I couldn’t even tell!” He proclaims with energy, his brows quickly furrowing then. “Huh. Why couldn’t I tell?” He mutters more to himself than the other occupants of the room. “Are you on suppressants or scent blockers?” He asks quickly. Tyler shakes his head somewhat nervously, knowing already that the doctor can tell something isn’t right.

“He was on suppressants for about a year before they suddenly stopped working, and he went into a bad heat. Then he stopped taking them, but he hasn’t had a heat since.” Kelly explains helpfully.

“Oh, well that’s not good.” The doctor tisks softly under his breath after saying this. “How do you feel, Tyler?” Dr. Byron asks as he steps forward, reaching towards Tyler’s neck slowly to feel his mating gland. Tyler shrugs as he does so.

“Normal, I guess. Other than not having a cycle.”

“Haven’t noticed any change lately? Weight change, mood change, appetite change?” He clarifies as he starts prepping something on the counter.

“Uh... yeah, I guess I’ve been more anxious lately. Haven’t been eating as much. I haven’t really weighed myself…” He trails off, wanting to disappear as he feels his mom’s and Josh’s questioning eyes on him.

“Your mating gland is very swollen. When was the last time you mated?” He asks casually, still prepping his equipment. Tyler jolts and freezes.

“We don’t—we haven’t. Um, never,” Tyler wants to sink into the floor so badly. The doctor pauses for a moment, looking like he wants to say something but thinking better of it. When he turns back around, Tyler sees that it’s a needle and syringe he’s been preparing, and blanches. He scrambles just a bit before gaining control of himself, but he’s still visibly shying away from the needle.

“Yes, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to take a sample. It’ll also help with the swelling; it needs to be drained. That’s why you don’t smell like an omega, and you’re not having cycles. You’ve stopped releasing your mating hormone. Draining it will help, but only temporarily. We have to find a more permanent solution to your… situation.” The doctor explains as he slowly approaches Tyler. Tyler starts squirming and scrambling again, but Josh wraps calming arms around him, offering a hug to the side of Tyler. Tyler accepts readily, clutching at Josh’s torso. Josh runs a hand through Tyler’s hair, ultimately cradling the back of Tyler’s head and pulling Tyler’s head into his own chest. He’s hoping to simultaneously offer comfort, and hold Tyler still to stop him from hurting himself. The doctor moves forward to draw the sample then.

“Okay, here it comes. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Josh coos out a warning before pressing his lips to Tyler’s hair. Tyler’s grip tightens around him and he lets out a small noise of distress, but just like that the doctor is pulling away with a syringe full of brownish, thick liquid. Josh immediately looks down at Tyler when he hears sniffling. “Hey, it’s over, you did great!” Josh whispers into Tyler’s hair.

Mrs. Joseph, can I have a word in the hall?” Dr. Byron says softly. She agrees, looking suddenly nervous, and Josh definitely feels more worried. He tries not to let it show, though, just smiles at them briefly before returning his attention to Tyler. Tyler looks scared too, and there are residual tears in the corners of his eyes. Josh climbs up onto the small exam table with Tyler, pulling him into a hug wordlessly. Tyler seems to melt into him, clutching back desperately.

“Do you think it’s good news? It sounded like it was gonna be bad news.” Tyler mumbles into Josh’s chest.

“Well he didn’t even send the sample to the lab yet, I don’t know that there is ‘news’ just yet. But he sounds like he knows what’s wrong, which is the first step to knowing how to fix it. So I think that’s good news.” Josh smiles down at Tyler reassuringly, now that Tyler is looking up at him again. Tyler has this look in his eyes that Josh has never seen before. It almost looks… adoring? Surely Josh is seeing wrong. He moves just imperceptibly closer, and Tyler’s eyes flicker down to Josh’s lips for the faintest of seconds. Josh feels his heart rate increase, sure for once that he isn’t misreading the situation. He leans in just a fraction more, and then the door reopens. The two boys jump away from each other guiltily, but neither Kelly nor Dr. Byron seem to notice. Kelly looks pale and distant, enough to really concern Josh. He still smiles reassuringly at Tyler when their eyes meet, but he’s almost trembling inside at the look on her face. It clearly hadn’t been good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ominous music plays*  
> Sorry, I know this is seeming a little dramatic for the happy one, but. Plot advancement is plot advancement. It'll be fine ;)
> 
> If you guys are STILL here, thanks for reading :) I hope you have a great day.


	8. Wwwwwell surprise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, and short, and unedited... Just, sorry. Hope it was worth the wait.

_Kelly follows the doctor into the brightly lit hall, the door swinging shut behind them. The doctor turns around at the sound and looks considerably more concerned than he had moments earlier._  
_"Mrs. Joseph, I'll be honest. What's happening to Tyler... it usually happens when an omega presents too young, or if they don't find their mate soon enough after presenting. The body suppresses the mating hormone, as a defense mechanism. Going through a heat alone puts a lot of strain on the body, there have even been fatal cases." The color drains from Kelly's face then, imagining losing her baby boy. "But, I don't want you to worry about that. Tyler is perfectly healthy otherwise, and he has his mate, which helps a lot. It's important that they be together during their cycles, have they been spending them together?"_  
_"Uh..." Kelly faulters, feeling guilty all over again. "Only the last one. Not while he was on suppressants, but the last heat came unexpectedly and Josh happened to be over... It was a really bad one, too..." She trails off, still feeling like the worst mother. The doctor schools his face to look neutral._  
_"They usually are very bad after suppressants, be it medicinal or natural suppressants. The first heat after is usually awful. That's when they become fatal. They go into heat alone and no one can help to make sure they get food and water, and their hormones keep releasing and releasing all at once, in an attempt to find their mate. But if the mate is not there, they keep releasing. The heat is too long, and they don't drink or eat... It's very lucky that Josh was there..." The doctor finally pauses for a breath before continuing._  
_"And about your son, I'll be honest. I wanted to seem confident in front of the boys, but these things are rare and totally unpredictable. There's no way of knowing when the next heat will come, but make_ sure _his mate is there. His life could depend on it. It's possible that his body has just decided he's too young to handle heats. Make sure he drinks nutritional shakes to keep his weight up, and encourage plenty of physical activity, and plenty of time with his mate. Make sure he's always close."_  
_Doctor Byron finally finishes his speech, and it takes Kelly a moment to catch up after how fast he has been talking. She nods, still pale and rather frightened by the doctor's ominous proclamations. Doctor Byron gestures towards the door behind her, and she mindlessly opens it, stepping in so he may follow. She barely hears as he dismisses them, leaving the explaining up to her._  
_She mindlessly rounds the boys up and leads them to the car, their silence revealing how horrified she must have looked._  
"Sssso, what did the doctor say?" Josh finally breaks the silence after a few tense minutes in the car. Kelly looks pensive, hesitating for a few moments before answering.  
"He said that it's important for Josh to stay close to Tyler, just a phone call away. Your next heat could come at any time, and it will be really bad. Apparently, having your mate around makes the heats easier to manage, because you'll stop releasing hormones as long as you can react to his scent. I'm sorry I kept you boys apart all this time; I really thought I was helping." She looks guilty as she trails off, and Josh feels sympathy for her.  
"No, it's... we all thought it was for the best. We were wrong, accidents happen. Now we know for next time, hm?" Josh throws an arm around Tyler's shoulders, who has opted to sit next to Josh in the backseat on the way home, probably seeking comfort from the tension. Kelly sends Josh a weak but very genuine smile in the rear view mirror. Josh returns the smile, but much stronger and brighter, hoping it will be infectious. Her smile widens considerably, so Josh assumes his plan has worked and directs his attention back out the window, only after sparing a glance at Tyler to check in. Tyler is staring out the window already, so Josh follows suit.  
"What are we supposed to do till then?" Josh almost jumps at the sudden sound of Tyler's voice, breaking him from his reverie of staring out the window in silence for the last ten minutes. Josh then looks up to Kelly, awaiting an answer just as Tyler is.  
"Continue as normal, I guess. Keep going to school and hanging out, whatever. It could be years before it comes again, we don't know." She seems as unhappy with this answer as Tyler is, but Josh tries to remain the positive, upbeat guy he always is. He pats Tyler's opposite shoulder reassuringly, and Tyler responds by leaning his head on Josh's shoulder and shutting his eyes. Josh returns to his reverie, ignoring the window this time in favor of a better view.

Josh stays close, always, and things are much the same as they were the first year of their lives together. They go to school, where they are now known to be inseparable best friends. They spend afternoons together watching TV, playing various video games and eating junk food. They also take to gym trips together, swims in Tyler's neighborhood pool, hikes at the nearby national park. Josh works to keep Tyler physically active, considering a second, private conversation he had had with Tyler's mother that was a bit more in-depth. He told Tyler everything she said, in any case, not seeing any reason to keep it from him. He wouldn't let Tyler stay upset for long.  
However, despite their best efforts, a heat never came. They continued to visit the doctor every few months to check Tyler's physical health and drain his mating gland, but otherwise, they were stagnant. It was bothersome, but subtle enough that it did not bother any of them out front. Josh started to feel a rush of anxiety any time the thought occured to him, pushing it all deep down, just as he assumed Tyler and his family to be doing.  
Years went by, Josh growing more and more anxious as they talked about the elephant in the room less and less. Josh had a creeping, clawing fear that the heat would never come, his ruts would never come, and he would never really bond with his own mate. As such, their relationship stayed stagnant as their bodies, never growing or changing. They were just two friends, always together. Despite all of their friends having presented by now, nobody questioned the two of them, nor their friendship. Tyler was a late bloomer, as far as they knew. And Josh was somewhat famous for his control over his ruts, so nobody questioned when they came, much less if they came at all. It wasn't the sort of thing anyone would bother thinking about.  
Graduation came and went, and though it was meant to be a huge life-changing, pivital moment in their personal history, Josh felt numb to it. His life was still water, and had been for years. No ruts, technically no mate, and no future change to been seen. The doctor still had no answers for them, but he seemed to lose hope right along with them, as they broke records every day. When it came time to chose a college, Tyler and Josh had no choice but to make the decision together. They couldn't risk any distance from each other. They began their college careers together, dormmates and classmates, still reknowned as inseparable. But now they were eighteen, and people _were_ paying attention. It was suspiciously late in the game to not have presented, and people asked Tyler all the time what his status was. This was always met in response to Josh stepping between the two of them, politely informing whoever was posing the question that Tyler enjoyed his privacy and that it was not their business, leaving them to most likely assume that Tyler was a beta. It was just such a situation when everything changed.  
The day started like every other, Tyler and Josh walking to class together amicably, in silence for the lack of anything worth saying. An older girl approached the two of them, one they had both spoken to before, and who was friendly enough.  
"Morning, guys!" She greeted cheerfully, to which they both waved. "So I was thinking about something, and I just want to ask point blank--are you a beta, Tyler?" She asked curiously, seeming already self-satisfied to have cracked the case. Tyler and Josh both froze. Josh opened his mouth to speak but Tyler barked over him.  
"No, I'm an omega, and Josh is my mate, and we're both freaks who don't get our cycles and I'm tired of pretending everything is fine," he's clearly speaking to Josh now, rather then their very startled acquaintance. "And I don't feel well and I'm not going to class..." Tyler trails off before turning on his heel and starting back towards their dorm. Josh turns to follow him without a moment's thought, even without an explanation to the poor girl who may or may not tell everyone she knows what she's just heard. He swallows the pang of hurt at the fact that his mate thinks of them as freaks, and follows after Tyler slowly and dejectedly.  
It isn't until Tyler stops to unlock the door that Josh gets close enough to realize he's crying. Josh's organs turn to ice and he acts on instinct, racing the rest of the way towards his mate just as he swings the door open. Josh jogs in right behind him, closing the door and grabbing for Tyler's shoulder, swinging him around an pulling him into a strong hug. Tyler melts into it, tipping his head forward to lean on Josh's shoulder and nuzzling into his neck after a beat.  
"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Josh wishes he could tell Tyler everything is okay, but it's not. "Why don't you take a nice hot shower, and I'll make you some tea," Josh proposes after a moment, pulling away from Tyler.  
"No tea, but I'll shower," Tyler responds resignedly, turning to head for their tiny bathroom. Josh nods and pulls off his own jeans, preparing for a day in. When Tyler returns about ten minutes later, Josh is laying in his bed in nothing but his underwear, and he opens his arms to a similarly dressed Tyler.  
"C'mere," he says softly, and Tyler is powerless to deny him. He climbs in next to Josh and is instantly enveloped in a tight hug, warm and slightly damp. It's not the most comfortable Tyler has ever felt, but it might be the safest. He buries his face into Josh's chest, and Josh cradles his head protectively, cooing at him. It is, for once, almost as though they are mates. Tyler gives some thought to the situation before deciding that today is the day he will change the cycle, and he draws his head back away from Josh's chest, tilting his head up towards his alpha's. Josh stares back at him for a few long moments, his expression maddeningly blank. And then, Josh is moving forward, moving an arm up to cup a hand over Tyler's cheek as Josh finally, _finally_ kisses him. Tyler sighs against his lips, pressing forward more firmly. After another beat, they both move away. Josh is now grinning beatifically, and Tyler smiles back because that's an involuntary reaction to that million-watt smile. Then Josh is pulling Tyler back in for another hug, and Tyler lets himself relax into a more restful sleep than he's enjoyed in years.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK. It gives me life and makes me grow as a writer <3


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